Operation Happy Ending
by unicyclehippo
Summary: A series of one shots about my SwanQueen couple (with cameos by others). Read for: angst, humour, romance, fluff (warning: extreme at times), and mentions of NotADickToRegina!Henry. Leave me a review with a one shot you'd like me to write.
1. Chapter 1

**Operation Happy Ending: One**

**I don't own Once Upon A Time.**

**Please enjoy. (Hi everyone – I edited this chapter because many of my lovely reviewers pointed out that I made a confusing mistake that I hope has been fixed. i.e., the 'is Regina mayor or not' debacle.**

Recovering from such a thing as being tortured and trapped in one's mind can be…difficult. Regina knew that. She had done it to enough people to know, after all. And she felt that she was being incredibly patient with Emma – but it had been two weeks and they hadn't gone much further than their little kiss and such shows of affection were rare. Emma was always away; she threw herself back into her work, exercised twice a day to regain the muscle she'd lost, and others frequently demanded her attention from phone calls and visits.

Regina, on the other hand, had never felt more alone. She may have been mayor but, since the return of those insufferable Charming's, she wasn't exactly _needed_; Henry was at school for the majority of the day; she was trying not to use her magic; and she had nothing to _do_. So, naturally, she spent her days thinking and wondering and pondering and second-guessing herself until everything she thought might be and could be, surely wasn't. And, when Emma came home and caught the confused and scared look in Regina's eyes and asked the woman what was wrong, Regina paused.

Emma's concern meant something, didn't it?

Regina wasn't certain. She couldn't be certain about any of this because she didn't know what it was exactly they had got themselves into. But she knew that she didn't want to scare Emma away, didn't want to pressure the woman, or ask for something that Emma wasn't ready to give. So she said nothing; she just smiled and brushed away Emma's concern with a practiced and airy answer. There was nothing to be worried about.

It was an ordinary Wednesday when Regina reclined in her chair. She pursed her lips hatefully down at the stack of papers on her desk before letting her eyes glance to the clock. It was Emma's lunch hour. She could…she shouldn't. Regina shook her head and focused on the pages. After a dozen or so signatures, however, the words began to blur in front of her and she sighed, rubbing her tired eyes. She looked at the clock again. Ten minutes had passed. She slammed her pen down and stood. She swung her jacket on and snatched up her purse.

When she opened the door to her office with a rather unnecessary force, her secretary jumped. "Madame Mayor?" the irritating woman squeaked. "Can I help you?"

Regina spared her a fleeting glance. "I am going for lunch. Field any calls." The woman – what was her name? – just squeaked again and ducked her head. Regina strode out of the building and down the street. She glanced at her watch. She had plenty of time to catch Emma in her lunch hour. And, indeed, she did.

She could see the familiar curls from quite a distance. From across the road, in fact. The woman was laughing at something and she threw her head back, grinning. _Her shoulders looked strong_, Regina thought. _Strong and light again_. She'd evidently healed from her experience.

Regina quickened her steps and laid her hand on the metal bar, pushing the door open. She was only two steps into the diner when she saw it. Emma leant over the bench, looking down at something Ruby was scrawling on a slip of paper. Ruby nodded to Emma as they whispered together and then the waitress winked and slipped Emma the note. Emma held the woman's hand tenderly, batted her eyelashes up at her. Ruby grinned broadly at the blonde. The two certainly looked…_cozy_. Regina forced herself not to snarl, not to rip Emma away.

What right had she to that? Emma was not a possession and, well, even if she were – Regina's eyes widened and she almost felt herself buckle with the force of her shock. Of course.

Regina berated herself at her thoughts. What was she thinking? She'd been thinking about this entire relationship – if she could call it that – in all the wrong ways. Emma had never said that they were exclusive. The speed with which her heart sank astonished Regina. She'd never been this invested in anyone or anything since Daniel. The fact that Emma had her heartstrings tied around her little finger was something that should and would be rectified immediately.

Regina turned to leave – leave Emma with her Ruby – but Emma spied her in her peripheries. She stood straight and beamed at Regina, which the brunette missed, and darted after her. She squeezed between two patrons and lunged out the door after the mayor. But Regina was striding with purpose and Emma had to sprint to catch up. She caught Regina by the elbow and swung her back to face her, a 'hello' on her lips, but Regina brought her hand up to meet Emma's face with a resounding _crack_.

Emma recoiled with the force of the slap and let Regina's arm go abruptly. She stepped back and away and forced herself not to touch the skin that smarted horribly.

Regina's hand itched from where it struck Emma.

"What the hell, Regina?" Emma spat. "What was that for?"

Regina tried to balance the anger and upset that were raging inside of her but they fluctuated so rapidly that she felt like her brain was spinning. She didn't know what she was doing.

"_Nothing_," she hissed.

Emma's brows snapped down and she glared half-heartedly – mostly hurt and confused – at Regina. "It had better have been _something_ otherwise you just hit me with no good reason. And I don't date people that hit their girlfriends," she warned.

"Well it's a good thing we aren't dating then, isn't it?"

Emma faltered at the harsh words, which practically dripped with venom. "Wh-what?" She ran a hand through her curls, frowning. Regina watched her with an utterly impassive expression – _show me something,_ the mayor silently urged her_, something that tells me what we are doing_. "What do you mean?"

"I never said you were my girlfriend." _You never said that you were mine_. "Or my partner, my _anything_." Her voice was tinged with frustration now, or perhaps hurt, but to Emma whose ears were ringing with confusion it all sounded like acid. And it burnt her. She had learnt long ago not to reach out for something that hurt her. The two were at a stalemate, each intent to not show the other how much they were hurt.

But one of them had to crack, bend, _break_ first.

"I-" Emma shook her head. She swallowed thickly and then visibly retreated into herself before Regina's eyes. Her shoulders hunched a little and she tucked her hands into the pockets of her jeans. "I just thought-"

"Thought _what_, dear?" Emma flinched at the moniker and Regina didn't care. She relished in the slight pain she caused. It wasn't enough. And then, it was too much. She regretted it.

"I thought we were. Dating, I mean." Emma paused. "I'm sorry," she whispered. "I guess I was wrong, huh?" She turned away and Regina felt her heart sink again.

She steadied herself. Emma was playing her. She had to be.

"And you give up so easily then?" she sneered. "Some brave Knight you are. You won't even fight for me." Taunting. Taunting she could do.

Emma laughed but it was a sad sound and caused a shiver to run the length of Regina's spine. "I would fight for you, Regina, but I'm tired of fighting _you_. I don't want to do it anymore." She shook her head. "I don't know how we got to this. I really don't. I thought that we were fine." She rubbed the back of her neck and looked at the ground, pondering her next words. "If this is really over between us or, you know, if it had never been anything…if that's what you want then fine." Her green eyes flashed. "But if this is just a thing that you do – going around and picking fights for fun or to see if I'm invested or whatever," her voice pitched higher in a question and she watched Regina closely, "then you have to tell me so I'm prepared." Regina said nothing. "When you're ready to say sorry or whatever come and find me." Emma stepped in close to the brunette and Regina tried not to flinch as her sweet, hot breath brushed her cheek. "I'll be waiting."

"What for?" Regina croaked. "What will you be waiting for?"

"You," Emma said simply. "I don't know what's wrong but maybe you'll tell me."

And it was so simple, this offer of Emma's. But Regina thought back on the day – the debilitating back-and-forth of the question _were they together?_ had been her sustenance that morning, with a side dish of confusion and concern. In addition to that, she had slapped Emma and now she just couldn't force herself to take down that wall and admit that perhaps she had been wrong. She couldn't do it.

Emma's eyes dimmed, disappointed, and she turned to leave. She hesitated though and returned to Regina. She held out her hand and, when Regina didn't offer her own, she leant down and enveloped one of Regina's small hands in hers. She opened it, looking down at the delicate hand, and pressed a little scrap of paper into Regina's hand.

"This is for you," she said softly. "I was going to make it nice but…" she shrugged. "Whatever. It doesn't matter now."

And then she was gone.

Regina returned to her office in a daze. She stubbornly refused to look at the note, which she had dropped into the pocket of her jacket, and resigned herself to paperwork. She told herself she didn't want to see their date – Emma and Ruby's – written down in undeniable ink. She didn't want to see any lewd comments or suggestive notes.

But why would Emma have given it to her if it were detailing a date? Her fingers itched. She caved. She withdrew the note from her pocket and opened the slip with trembling fingers.

_Diner. Six o'clock. Everything is ready. _

_It was an odd place for a date_, a little voice in Regina's mind commented. She hushed it with a roll of her eyes and a contemptuous huff. Contempt, that was, for herself. It wasn't a date, she knew, but then why had she been spending so much time with Ruby if not for a romantic pairing?

She had to know. That was all there was to it.

But when the clock in her office clicked over to six o'clock, she was still sitting there. Quite stubbornly, she simply stared at the clock until it ticked over another minute, and another. Her fingers folded the note, running over the crease again and again. Finally, she groaned and, grabbing her jacket and purse once more, disappeared in her distinctive purple smoke.

She appeared just outside of the diner. Which, she noted, was lit dimly. She opened the door and stepped inside, only to be greeted by a horde of familiar faces. Snow and Charming were in the first line of faces; Granny and Ruby over there. Henry was seated and playing, evidently bored, on his phone.

"Congratulations," the horde said mostly simultaneously and quietly. Regina frowned and looked about the diner.

A banner, reading 'Congratulations' in obnoxiously bright colours, hung from the ceiling. Apples, dipped in caramel, dangled from strings and the mingling crowd were dodging them with ease – except for Henry, who was cutting them down with a little pair of scissors and hording them at the table he had claimed as his own. A table, buckling under the weight of food upon it, was lavishly decorated with foods of all kinds: pastries, sweets, dinners and desserts, sausages and pancakes, and more.

"What is going on?" Regina snapped in a cold voice.

"Oh good, you don't know!" Ruby said in a relieved voice. "We thought for _sure_ that Emma would have spilled the beans by now." Regina didn't crack a smile. She fixed the waitress with stern eyes demanding that she tell her _this instant_. "It's a thank you," she hurriedly explained, "for saving us all and Emma from, um, your mother. We heard what you did," she said very softly.

Snow stepped forward and Regina glared at the blasted woman. "Emma planned it," she informed the mayor. "She knew that you would hate a party because of what you had to do." Regina blinked. _Chose_, her heart reminded her. She _chose _to save Emma. Her heart gave a painful lurch when she thought about that day and, in contrast, the abysmal mess that had been today, and Regina closed her eyes. She'd clearly been thinking with the wrong organ today. Her heart thudded in agreement. But Snow was still talking and Regina forced herself to listen. "So Emma thought that a little get together to thank you might be nice and afterwards, perhaps, we thought we could go to the cemetery." She waved a hand to the side of the diner where Regina noticed a few bouquets of flowers lay. "For your mother," she said.

Regina looked over the crowd. She had already done so at least a dozen times but the familiar riotous blonde curls were still absent. "Emma planned this?" she croaked.

Every face – with not a single exception – nodded. Regina drew her coat tight around her and nodded as well. Though, of course, her nod was in determination. "Right. Excuse me," she said. And then she strode out of the diner, ignoring the calls of 'come back' and 'mom?' from behind her.

She puffed herself to Snow's apartment, calling Emma's name, but the woman wasn't there. Nor was she at Regina's house, or at the sheriff's office, or (clearly) at the diner. Regina's brows snapped together and her shoulders slumped. She brought her phone out of her pocket and called Emma but it ran immediately to voicemail. She called another number.

"Henry," she greeted, only mildly defeated. "I don't suppose you know where Emma is, do you?"

Her son didn't say anything for a moment. "She's not happy, mom."

"I know, dear."

"Are you going to say sorry?" he asked.

"Yes, dear, I am." _And hope to all the heavens that it will be enough_, she added silently.

"You should try the beach, then," he told her. "Where my castle used to be."

Another thing she had ruined, she reminded herself, but she thanked her son and told him that he had best not touch another candied apple or he would be grounded for a week. She hung up after and spun herself into her purple, appearing at the beach.

It was dark but Regina could faintly make out a hunched form seated on the sand. Emma's elbows were resting on her knees and her hands were loosely clasped between them.

"Hello, Madame Mayor," she greeted formally. She'd smelt the magic and heard the crunch of sand underfoot.

"Emma," Regina said. "I'm sorry." It was best to get that out straight away, she imagined.

"For what?" Emma shrugged but didn't turn to face her. She watched the waves lap against the shore relentlessly. "You've done nothing wrong."

Regina stopped next to Emma and, thought she eyed the grey sand distastefully, she sat next to the woman. She drew her coat tight around her shoulders. They sat in the quiet and allowed the water to fill their silence.

"I was scared." She let the words drop out. Emma flinched in surprise – it had been quite some time since either had spoken and Emma had been peacefully drifting back and forth between awareness and a trance-like state. "I was scared that you didn't love me because we haven't, we haven't," Regina stuttered.

"Had sex?" Emma supplied helpfully. She still didn't look at Regina but it was the first time that she had heard the topic brought up and she was surprised.

"Yes. And then you were calling Miss Lucas and working and winking at one another and I thought-"

"You thought I was cheating on you." Emma's voice was flat. There was no lenience there and Regina sucked in a shallow breath. She was scared again. But she forced the words out.

"No. I thought that I had misunderstood. That you had never thought of me like _that_ at all."

"Regina-"

"Don't, Emma. I know. I know it was foolish." And she did know that now. How could someone that didn't love her know her well enough, and care enough about her, to put together such a thing as the party in the diner that evening?

"It was damn stupid!" Emma corrected the woman harshly. She turned finally to Regina and the brunette saw the tear tracks on her cheeks.

"Yes," she whispered. "It was." Then the words came thick and fast and Regina couldn't reel them in or halt their flow. "And I'm sorry that I was too proud to admit that I was wrong and that I blamed you earlier. And I'm sorry that I thought you were sleeping with Ruby. And I am more sorry than I have ever been that I slapped you, Emma. I wasn't thinking." Regina paused. "I'm sorry that I didn't talk to you about what you were doing. And what you were doing…" she trailed off. "It was very thoughtful. Thank you."

Emma shrugged and stood. She brushed the sand from her jeans. "Not less than you deserve. I'm glad you liked it." Her voice was terse and Regina pushed herself to stand, to catch Emma's elbow before she could leave. The scene was a mirror image of before: of Emma grabbing Regina and Regina slapping Emma. Regina didn't bother tensing. She knew that Emma wouldn't hurt her.

Emma turned slowly. She met Regina's eyes. "I'm _sorry_, Emma," the mayor murmured. She tried to take a step forward but Emma took a matching step back to maintain the distance.

"Regina," she said warningly. "You can't ever hit me again. Ever." Regina nodded. "And you have to talk to me. If I'd known you had any doubts, I would have told you what I was planning. I don't _care_ about surprising you with dinner," she insisted. "I care about _you_." Regina nodded again. "And you never brought up the topic of sex – how the hell am I supposed to know what you want?"

"I thought you would show me if you wanted me," Regina said quietly. Shyly. Only Daniel had ever wanted her – and he was dead. All others since, well. She'd either manipulated them, forced them, or they had tried to manipulate or force her. She'd wanted Emma to want her.

"I do want you, Regina." Emma shook her head and huffed out a breath. "_God_, woman. Don't you understand? Don't you see me?" Regina looked at her, not understanding what Emma was trying to say. "You've been in my brain, for gods sake. I love you."

Regina blinked. Once. Twice. Three times. Then she sucked in a deep breath. That was the first time the words had been said, besides in the humour-laced recollections of 'True Love's Kiss', which they had each pretended had little effect on them.

"I love you," Emma repeated. "I have no fucking clue when it happened or how or _why_ because God knows you made it difficult. But I do love you, Regina Mills." Emma was looking at Regina with dark, intent eyes and she didn't let the brunette look away. She was looking at Regina with a gaze that softened as they took in the petite woman, filled instantly with a warmth that chased away the chill of the night.

Regina wanted to say it back. Her heart thumped with encouragement. So she did. "I love you too," she admitted. Emma's eyes widened – she honestly hadn't expected Regina to say anything at all. "I've no idea why," the dark woman laughed. "You're immature and unhealthy and messy. You are uncouth and irritating and-"

"Oh, please, don't flatter me," Emma drawled and rolled her eyes.

Regina smirked. "But I love you anyway," she finished. Her smirk widened into a proper smile when Emma beamed at her. "Why don't you want to sleep with me?"

The beam on Emma's face spluttered and fell at the sudden question. In the abrupt awkwardness, the blonde crossed her arms over her chest. No. Not her chest. Her stomach. Something clicked in Regina's mind and she understood Emma's reasons with sudden clarity. She wanted to hear Emma say it though.

"It's…it's not that I don't want to sleep with you," she assured Regina readily. "I do. I really do." Her eyes clouded over a little and she grinned. "I really_ really _do." She blushed and shook her head clear of the lustful thoughts. "But I," she shrugged. "I want to look good for you. I want to feel good. I'm thin and weak and I've got all these scars," she admitted softly. "I didn't want you to-"

"Reject you?" Regina pursed her lips. Clearly she wasn't the only one with issues. True, her own issues were based around the very clear facts that she was once evil and no one could possibly love her, and Emma's self-consciousness was based on absolutely nothing at all. "I would never. For several reasons. Shall I name them for you?" Emma nodded slowly, enchanted by the way Regina sashayed a little closer and let her nails trace a path up Emma's arm.

Seduction was an art form Regina was _well_ practised in and she withdrew all the stops for her love. "Firstly, I love you." The words sounded so beautiful, so right. "All of you. That is a part of true love – past, present, and future is encompassed by the love. There is no part of you that has existed or will exist that I will not cherish as much as I do all of you in the here and now."

The words, said with such straightforward honestly, shook Emma to the core. They were inescapable. They should have been suffocating, should have made Emma claustrophobic, but instead they were infinite and wide and delicious. And the warmth. The warmth of Regina's tone made her blink and sink a little into the woman's hand.

"Secondly, you forget that I have seen all of your scars already." Emma flinched and Regina placed her palm flat against Emma's abdomen, letting the warmth of her skin seep through the thin shirt, and scratched very lightly. "And thirdly," she said in a low rumble. Regina stepped very close to Emma. She shifted her hands so they gripped the blonde's waist lightly and dug her nails into the flesh of her hips. Emma hissed and Regina chuckle, revelling in the thought that Emma pressed so close to her could feel her body moving. "You are very," she nuzzled Emma's neck for a moment before drawing back and nipping the pale skin with white teeth teasingly, "_very_ attractive." She laved her tongue on the heated skin, on the little red mark her teeth had made, and Emma's knees buckled.

"You've convinced me," Emma groaned. She enclosed Regina with her arms and tugged her close. She brushed their cheeks together teasingly, then their noses, then let her lips dance tantalising and lightly over Regina's, before she opened her arms and pulled away. "But the answer is still no."

Regina's mouth fell open in surprise and distress. "What?"

Emma took a few more steps back carefully. "I'm taking you on a date," she said very seriously. "We are going to eat food and talk about our likes and dislikes and maybe dance a little." She nodded firmly. "We are going to do this right, Regina." She waggled her pointer finger at the brunette teasingly. "Mark my words, Regina. We are going to do this right and there is nothing you can do to stop this!"

Regina watched her go with a faint smile on her lips. She could, she supposed, live with that. A date like that sounded positively delightful. Besides…waiting could only make it better. The _it_ they were waiting for being, of course, the incredibly hot sex they would be having.

She grinned wickedly. And she would punish Emma for making her wait.

**My first chapter in the series of one shots. This one was of my own design so no acknowledgements here. How was it, all? What did you think? I had a lot of fun with it but I would love to hear your thoughts. Oh – it's marked complete and it will be with every chapter that I add because it is a series of one shots. Remember: read, review, and leave an idea of what you would like to see. Happy reading, readers :)**


	2. Chapter 2

**Operation Happy Ending: Two**

**I don't own Once Upon A Time.**

**Please enjoy.** **(This chapter is dedicated to doritodorkito. Thanks so much for your reviews!)**

"What was it like? In your mind?"

They were on the couch when Henry asked her. Well, to be more accurate, Emma and Henry had turned themselves so they were lying upside down, their heads resting on the ground, and they were watching the television mindlessly. Emma's head was beginning to hurt with all the blood rushing to it. She collapsed on the ground and hauled herself up onto the couch, sitting properly this time. After a moment, she grabbed her son's feet and tipped him over. He caught himself before he crashed to the ground and was up like a flash, turning a glare on his Ma.

"_Ma_," he whined. "No fair."

"Life isn't fair, kid." She shrugged. "Sucks to be you."

He scowled and clambered onto the couch next to her. Emma smiled at him. He was…happier, she thought. He still liked to wear those professional slacks and the button down shirts and vests, which Emma never suspected a child of _hers_ to like, but he was a little more ruffled now. Open.

"Are you avoiding my question?" he asked, eyes narrowed. Oh yeah – and he was still sharp as a tack.

"No!" Emma denied. "Okay maybe." His eyes narrowed further. Could he even see out of them? "Fine. _Yes._"

"If you don't want to tell me, I'm sure Mr Gold will tell me." He moved to stand but Emma snagged the sleeve of his vest and pulled him back.

"You are not going to Mr Gold, mister." He crossed his arms. "Fine. Okay, look," she ran a hand through her hair and sighed. "I don't know. It was weird. Super weird."

"Was it like the sleeping curse? Were you trapped in the red room?" From his wide eyes and somewhat frantic grasping of her hand, Emma knew he was concerned. And he had every right to be. Everything she'd heard about that room was just pure shit. And for Henry to have been subject to it…He still had nightmares sometimes.

"No," she assured him. "It wasn't the red room. There was no fire" _except for that one time she'd _been_ in a fire_ "and I wasn't trapped." _Except for those times she'd been trapped in various places…_ "I was just in my mind and I couldn't get out." She frowned. "I guess Cora wanted me to be with just me forever."

"So you were trapped," he insisted.

"No." Her frown deepened. "It's hard to explain. I knew there was something wrong but I didn't know what. And I knew that I was in my mind but there was nothing weird about that because," she shrugged helplessly. "I don't know, Henry. It's really hard to explain."

He was silent for a little while and just leant on her. His shoulder dug a little into her but Emma didn't mind. "When did you realise that something was wrong?"

Emma's eyes unfocused a little and Henry watched, fascinated, as a little smile crept across her face. She tilted her head a little. "I was in a dark room. It was so dark that I couldn't see anything and I couldn't move."

"I thought you said you weren't trapped!" Henry exclaimed. Regret flickered across Emma's face and Henry sank back into the couch. "Oh," he said quietly. "It was a memory?"

Emma nodded. "I have a couple of bad memories, Henry," she said. "But just listen, okay?" She took a deep breath. "So I was in the room and I couldn't see anything and everything sounded super weird. Like echoes." She closed her eyes to remember. "And then I heard someone calling my name. Emma – ma – ma – ma," she called, pretending to be an echo. Henry grinned. "And it was your mom." He nodded, urging her to continue. "Boy was I surprised to see her there. And she was stumbling around and I knew that she couldn't see me but she kept trying to get to me."

"And _that's_ when you knew something was wrong?" Henry asked with a little twist to his mouth.

"Nah, I knew the second someone else was in my head. And then, even though I knew I was in my head, _that_ was the second I realised I was _stuck_ in my head." Henry thought about that for a moment before he nodded, letting Emma continue.

"So anyway, I took your mom out of the dark room and we chatted for a while and then she got me out of there."

Henry fixed his ma with a look that told her she wasn't getting out of the conversation that easily. "What was being in your mind _like_, though?"

"Oh Henry," Emma grumbled, shifting uncomfortably. "I don't know. It was like all the things I had experienced and all the things I'd seen in my whole life were on loop."

Henry nodded, taking that in. "And after mom healed you?"

"Well, I was still stuck inside my head with Regina because…" she trailed off. "Actually, I don't know why. Maybe because of something Cora did. Or she poisoned me or something. Anyway, whatever, we were stuck." She shrugged. "My mind is kind of boring, Henry. There wasn't much to do there.

_A roundabout way of saying she was, that she felt, alone_, Regina thought. She had been hovering in the doorway for a few minutes. _Always alone_. "I thought your mind was exquisite," Regina commented. "It was very expressive." She recalled Emma's mind vividly reacting to stimuli – the dark ripples of pain, the clarity of the memories with each detail painstakingly fixed, not blurry, all scents and sounds and even a touch of the emotions Emma had experienced. "And surprisingly well structured."

Mother and son turned to look at Regina: Henry was curious and Emma was surprised. "What do you mean structure?" Henry piped up.

Regina quirked a brow. "Structure is how things are ordered and put together. Like, for instance, the structure that tells you when to eat and when it is _your bedtime_." Henry rolled his eyes at his mom's reminder. Then he opened those brown eyes pleadingly and slumped his shoulders.

"Please mom? Tell me about Ma's mind?"

Regina looked to Emma, who just shrugged. "One question and then you go to bed," she said firmly. Henry nodded vigorously.

"Okay. Okay." He frowned heavily and took his time sorting through the questions he wanted to ask. Finally his face lit up. "Okay. Tell me about the structure, then. Please?"

Regina moved into the room and sat opposite her family. She smoothed her skirt as she pondered the question. "As I said," she began, "it was surprising how well structured it was. There were doors," she told Henry, after silently checking with Emma that it was alright to tell him. "Doors that filled an endless hallway, ever growing, expanding, right into the distance. And behind each of the doors was a memory or a dream. It was quite spectacular."

Henry's eyes widened. "Wow," he breathed. "Ma, that is so cool!"

Emma blinked. "You think so?" She smiled shyly.

"Yeah. I mean, you must be crazy smart or something to have a really neat mind."

"Nah that's ridiculous," Emma scoffed. "I just hate thinking about shi – stuff," she corrected her expletive hurriedly, "so I put it away. Which is unhealthy," she acknowledged, "so if you have any problems, Henry, you come straight to us and tell us about it." She nodded firmly, proud that she'd made that into a teaching moment.

Henry ignored her.

"She must be really smart, right mom?"

Regina considered that before nodding slowly. "It certainly suggests that. I have been in other minds." Emma stiffened at that, which Regina took note of. "But none of them were quite as organised or beautiful as Emma's." She smiled tenderly at the blonde woman who slowly relaxed and smiled back. Then Regina turned sharp eyes on her son. "Time for bed, Henry."

He moaned and groaned but his mothers wouldn't budge so he clumped up the stairs to his room. They followed and each murmured their goodnights and adjusted his blankets. Emma closed the door behind her, Regina waiting for her just outside of Henry's room, and they walked down the hall together

Emma stopped outside her room – the guest room – and paused. Her hand rested on doorknob and she glanced shyly at Regina. "Did you really think my mind was exquisite?" she asked softly.

"Oh yes," Regina breathed. "It was one of the most beautiful places I had ever been."

Emma nodded. "And those other minds you were in," she began, somewhat hesitant.

Regina smirked and stepped forward. Emma, entirely willing, allowed the darker woman to press her back against her door. "Are you jealous?" she purred in the blonde woman's ear. Emma fought to stop her eyes from rolling back. God that woman had a voice. Regina nipped her lobe in reprimand. "I _said_," another nip, "are you jealous?"

"Yes," Emma groaned. She lifted her hands and grabbed Regina's hips, pulling the woman firmly against her own body. Both women let out sounds of satisfaction at the feeling; for Emma that was a low groan that sent a bolt of heat through Regina, and Regina sighed slightly, which made Emma shiver.

"And if I told you that your mind was simply sublime? That I itched to open every single door? That sometimes at night I dream about tiptoeing into your room and slipping into your mind so that we can go through some doors together." Her smirk became deliciously wicked. "Particularly that red door I saw. It looked," she licked her lips. "Enticing."

Emma growled and stepped backward, opening her door lightning fast. She turned Regina around in her arms, making the woman's eyes widen, and shoved her onto the bed. The blonde locked the door easily with a click and stalked to the bed. She lifted a leg and straddled her woman. She laid her palms on either side of Regina's head and lowered herself slowly.

Regina was entranced by the bunch of Emma's biceps and took the opportunity to raise herself on her elbows a little and latch onto her right arm. She dug her teeth in and ran her tongue over the flesh she had caught. Emma was suspended between a yelp of pain and a moan and, when Regina's eyes flickered to her and she bit a little harder, Emma hissed. She tensed her arm and shoved the woman down onto the bed. Then she completed her descent and fused their lips together in a hot kiss.

"I," Emma grunted, "love," another kiss was planted, this time on Regina's neck, "you." Regina beamed at the words.

She hooked her arms around Emma's neck and pulled the woman down so they were lying on their sides, facing one another. She slowed their kisses down from their frantic pace. After all, they hadn't been on their date yet and Emma had been so wonderfully emphatic that 'nothing would happen' until after that. And the slow, lazy kisses made Regina shiver, made her ache to touch more and bite harder and to _taste_.

Emma pulled away finally, her lips swollen and red Regina noted with pride, and stroked Regina's hair out of her eyes. "We have to stop," she whispered. Regina nodded her agreement. "I love you."

"And I love you." Regina took Emma's arms and turned, pulling one across her stomach. "But if you won't _take_ me," she smouldered, looking over her shoulder at the blonde, "then I suppose I will make do with you holding me."

Emma grinned. "If you're trying to trick me into having my wicked way with you, it won't work Regina."

The brunette shuffled back until she was comfortable. And then, in an entirely conversational tone, she murmured, "Oh my dear, don't be mistaken. I will be having my wicked way with _you_."

Emma chuckled and tightened her hold on Regina. "I look forward to it."

They were quiet for a long time. "You really do love my mind?" Emma asked softly.

Regina opened her eyes with surprise. Clearly this was more of an issue for Emma than she had realised. She turned in the protective circle of Emma's arms and rested her forehead on Emma's sternum. After a moment, she brought her head up so she could press her lips to the warm skin.

"I do," she said. "I thought it was divine. You really have no idea – other minds are cluttered and confusing and useless. They are filled to the brim with uselessness." Regina pressed her lips, just brushed them lightly, to Emma's shoulder. Her hands rested quite comfortable on Emma's stomach. "I fell in love with your mind, Emma. I really did." Emma hummed her approval of the words. "And, you know, you have magic." Emma hummed again. "You can take me into your mind at any time."

"One day, love," Emma promised. "We'll go in together and have a look around." She smiled and laid her cheek on the top of Regina's head. Her hold tightened again. "There is a whole floor dedicated to you," she whispered. "And more popping up with every minute."

Regina's heart fluttered at the thought of doors – of Emma's memories of _her_ – being created and she couldn't deny that there was little else she wanted more than to continue making memories with this woman.

But it was late and that was a heavy topic laden with conversation. So she just snuggled in and murmured, "I hope some of those are behind the red door." She nipped the blonde's collarbone.

"At least half."

**There you go, doritodokito. I hope that you liked it and, of course, that all you others liked it as well. Please review and leave a note about something that you would like to read. I'm away at the moment with little internet access but I'll make it work. Happy reading, readers :)**


	3. Chapter 3

**Operation Happy Ending: Chapter Three**

**I don't own Once Upon A Time.**

**Please enjoy.**

Emma was supposed to knock on Regina's door at precisely seven. It was almost seven and Emma hadn't yet convinced herself to rap on the door, even though she knew without a doubt that the woman behind it was already ready. But was it her fault that she couldn't knock? No. Not really. The way Emma thought about it, it was most certainly Regina's fault. That woman was just too…_everything_. Therefore, it wasn't Emma's fault that her hands were clammy and she was breathing just a little too fast and oh god was her collar choking her? She went to tug at her collar, only to remember that she was wearing a dress, and swallowed thickly instead. Faced with the white door that loomed in front of her, Emma was all set to run. She'd done it before. No doubt she would do it again.

But then, of all memories that could possibly convince her to knock on that door and potentially change the very fate of her entire life that stretched in an unknowable fashion with countless thousands of possible branches that her life could drift down (oh god she was panicking now, clearly), she remembered the white, pinched face of Regina when she had slapped her the other day.

Emma rubbed her cheek ruefully at the memory. Regina's eyes had flashed black and _god_ the woman had a strong slap. Emma just thanked the gods that Regina hadn't punched her – she needed this face. It was the best thing about her. More importantly, and back to the topic at hand, it brought Emma back to the moment. Back to _this _moment. And she couldn't help but smile because, really, could Regina have possibly been _any_ more jealous?

Emma wiped the smile off her face. She frowned, determined, at the door. She was about to knock on Regina's door. She was going to do it. She was going to do it. She just needed one second more.

But then the door opened and Regina swept out and smiled at her. And Emma gaped. "Regina? What are you doing?"

The brunette shrugged delicately. "I saw your monstrosity-"

"-It's called a_ bug,_ Regina-"

"And when you didn't knock, I assumed you wanted me to come out."

Emma crossed her arms. "Well, I didn't. Now go back inside."

Regina sighed. "Oh come now, Emma. I'm already outside." She smiled coyly up at the blonde. "Don't you want to tell me that I look lovely and take me out on a date?"

Emma just glowered down at Regina. "Go back inside, Regina. You're ruining this. I had this whole thing planned and-"

"And you were freaking out," Regina stated quite succinctly. Emma made a delightful replication of a gaping fish. "I thought I might as well get this started."

"I was going to knock!" Emma insisted.

"Of course you were, dear," Regina said, patting Emma on the arm. When the muscle flinched, a slight frown marred Regina's features. "I'm sorry," she murmured. The name was still a sore spot. Emma shook her head.

"It's fine," she assured Regina. Emma closed her eyes, swallowed, and then let her eyes open slowly. "Go back inside," she said again. Regina sighed loudly and turned on her heel. She slammed the door behind her and waited. One second passed. Then a second, and a third. When she finally reached thirty, she pulled the door open and Emma scowled at her, fist raised to knock on the door. "Seriously?"

Regina smiled broadly and closed the door. She locked it as well. She moved into the dining room and sat carefully, making sure she didn't wrinkle her dress. When the knock, the sharp raps on the wood, finally came, Regina didn't move.

Emma waited exactly a minute before she groaned and laid her head on the door. "Regina!" she called. "Come on. Open the door." Regina said nothing so Emma decided that was permission to test the door and, when she found that it was locked, she crouched and picked the lock with one of her numerous hairpins. She grumbled the whole while, only letting up when her grumbles turned into a triumphant 'aha!' when the lock was successfully picked.

Emma strode into the house, closing the door behind her, and moved into the dining room. Regina was sitting there waiting for her. One eyebrow, as usual, was quirked. A smile played over her lips.

"You think this is funny, don't you?" Emma asked Regina. The blonde planted her hands firmly on her hips and ignored the curls that tumbled down from where they had been previously pinned and tamed. "It took me a whole damn hour to put my hair up, woman. A whole _hour_."

"Should I be sympathetic, darling?" Regina drawled. She traced mindless patterns on the table top.

Emma frowned. "What you _should_ be is answering the door when I knock." When Regina's brow quirked a fraction more, Emma lost all of the confidence Regina's riling had given her. "Or, you know, you don't have to be," she mumbled. Her eyes fell to stare at the floor and she shifted uneasily.

For Regina, it was a strange sight to see the woman she loved – clumsy and awkward and sweet – looking as she always did but in a dress. A very lovely dress. A very lovely dress that certainly flattered the blonde in ways that sent thrills through Regina's body. She wondered if it would look better on her floor that evening. And whether it was easily torn.

"I wanted to see what effort you would go to in order to collect me," Regina stated.

Emma groaned. "Seriously, Regina? I would go to the ends of the earth for you," she grumbled. "Why the hell did you want to see if I would pick a lock? That's just silly."

Regina felt a foolish smile spread over her face. _I would go to the ends of the earth for you_. She liked it. She especially liked that Emma had said it without a single thought or quibble. She _especially_ liked that it wasn't as sappy or ridiculous as 'I will always find you' – because really, how many times must one be 'found'?

Regina stood in a single, fluid movement that made Emma bite her tongue quite by accident. Her dress was black and boy did the colour suit her. It made her skin glow and her eyes spark and her hair just wow. Emma swallowed.

"I believe you told me I should say you look lovely," she husked. Regina tilted her head to the side, pleased by Emma's reaction. "Fuck that. You look…" Emma trailed off. She had no words. False – she had plenty of words. Gorgeous, breathtaking, splendid, amazing, beautiful, wonderful. Perfection. Regina didn't need any of those words. The greatest compliment was the way that Emma moved without realising she was moving, the way that Emma's eyes were glued to her, and particularly the way those hungry eyes moved up her figure to meet her eyes and the way they melted when they reached her eyes and the way Emma took a faltering step forward and her hand clenched and unclenched as if unsure whether she was allowed to touch that paragon of beauty. It filled Regina with warmth.

"Thank you," Regina demurred.

"May I take you to dinner, My Queen?" Emma asked. She held out a hand and Regina took it.

Emma led Regina, without speaking, out onto the street. She took her right past the Bug and just walked down the street. When they reached the park, Emma turned in and, though Regina was bursting with questions, she held back. She knew that Emma wanted to surprise her.

And surprise her she did.

Deep in the park, beneath a large tree with splayed branches, was a small square table. A simple white tablecloth covered the table, and cushions covered each bench. A candle was lit, and plates were laid, and steaming dishes of pasta awaited them.

"Who?" Regina began to ask.

Emma pointed over to a table far enough away to give the couple some privacy and a waving Henry greeted Regina before he turned to pack up his things. "He wanted to help out. And he wanted to wait to make sure we got here alright."

"He was here in the park all by himself?" Regina questioned sharply.

"What? No. My parents are waiting in the car to take him to their place." Emma looked away from Regina. "I'm not wholly incompetent, Regina," Emma scolded semi-playfully.

The brunette woman, however, heard the slight pain and she rested her hand on Emma's arm. "You aren't," she assured her date. "And I'm sorry. But really, dear, does _anyone_ not know that we are going on a date tonight?"

Emma winced. "Probably not."

Regina considered leaving in a huff but the table was right there and Emma was warm by her side and, to tell the truth, she didn't actually mind as much as she pretended that she did. "Well," she sniffed. "At least now they know who you belong to."

Emma grinned at that. "Who I belong to…" she murmured. "And who might that be?"

Regina turned on her and grabbed Emma's cheeks, pulling her down into a quick and fiery kiss that left Emma breathless with both surprise and sudden arousal.

"_Me_," she growled. Then she turned and seated herself primly at the table and waited to be served. Emma took a moment to regain the motor function of her limbs and joined her at the table. She poured a centimetre of wine for Regina, pausing to let the brunette smell and taste and nod her approval, and then poured a full glass before displaying a large platter of finger foods between them. Regina frowned at the plate.

"Do you, do you not like it?" Emma asked hesitantly. "It's just I thought maybe we could start casual. And, you know, chat. Because I know that you're wonderful and a great mom and the mayor but I don't actually know that much about _you_," she explained.

Regina looked up across the table and let a small smile grace her lips. "This is very thoughtful, Emma." The blonde shrugged. "Though I'm not sure the wine will go with this."

"Who cares? It tastes good, doesn't it?" Regina nodded. "Then just enjoy it. Do you prefer red or white wine?" Emma asked and Regina realised that she was beginning their discussion.

The night passed peacefully. It was a strange limbo for them to be in, but certainly not unpleasant. Without problems or issues sitting heavily between them, without secrets or ill-felt emotions, without fears or heartbreak, the night was calming. Quiet.

In the beginning, however, Regina would catch Emma looking down into her lap and, confused and curious, Regina reached over the table and demanded to know what had captured Emma's attention so, leading to the blonde's embarrassed admission that she had prepared notes. Which Regina promptly took and burned. Following that, the conversation lost its stilted manner and flowed naturally, though they were careful to avoid topics that had in the past led to more violent discussions.

Emma, finally, looked down at her phone and blinked. "Regina," she said quietly. "I should get you home."

Regina looked at her watch and sighed. It was getting late. Or early, depending on how one looked at it. As it was nearing two in the morning, Regina agreed and happily accepted the hand Emma extended. The blonde pulled her up and hooked Regina's hand into the crook of her elbow. Together, they wandered back down the streets to the mayor's home and Emma walked her to the door.

Regina stepped up to open the door before turning back, a wicked glint in her eyes. "You know, you did promise that we would have a little fun after you took me on a date," she reminded Emma.

Emma grinned at her woman. "And we will. But it is late and I will see you tomorrow." She wavered in her place though and, seemingly fighting with herself, strode forward. She pressed her body against Regina's and brought her up against the door, claiming her mouth. She didn't mind that Regina's ruby lipstick rubbed off quickly as they parted and dove back towards one another again and again until Regina was quite thoroughly breathless and Emma grinned victoriously. "I'll see you tomorrow?" she said again, asking this time.

Regina nodded shakily and opened the door behind her. "Are you coming in?" she asked, a little confused when Emma didn't move to leave. The blonde shook her head no.

"I'm just making sure you get home safe, Madame Mayor," the sheriff said sweetly. True to her word, she watched as the mayor moved through the open door and the lock bolted into place. When the curtains to the side twitched open, Emma waved and turned, moving to her car.

Only when she was safely inside her trusted Bug did she grin so widely that she feared her face would split in two. Her heart was pounding faster than ever before and there was a tingling feeling that covered her skin. She felt like…she felt like there was nothing wrong in the whole wide world. She felt like she was just a skin covering a ball of energy that shook and shimmered and pulsed with an effervescent light and she felt _loved_.

She sent one last smile to the mayor's home – where her love was slipping into her bed sheets, a similarly ecstatic emotion broiling within her – before pulling out onto the street.

When she entered the apartment she shared with her parents and son, she crept in quietly, hoping not to wake the occupants, but it was to no avail. Her mother sat up groggily and smiled at her daughter.

"How did it go?" she rasped, voice thick with sleep.

Emma just beamed at her and gave her a double thumbs up. She moved up the stairs and into her room, where Henry was asleep on her bed. She changed quickly in the bathroom and then padded back into their room. Sitting next to Henry on the bed, she brushed his hair off his forehead carefully. She leant down and pressed a fleeting kiss to his brow.

"Ma?" he whispered.

"Yeah, kid. It's me."

Henry smiled and blinked his bleary eyes. "How did it go?"

Emma felt more comfortable talking to Henry about the date for some reason and she let her smile just take over her face. "It was perfect," she murmured.

"Mom liked it?"

"Yeah, I think so. We talked the whole time and she laughed." Emma shrugged. "Don't even worry about it kid – it's True Love. What could go wrong?"

Henry frowned. "Take that back. Do you really want to jinx this? A whole _bunch_ of stuff could go wrong!" He crossed his arms and glowered at his mother, who held up her hands in surrender.

"Whoa, I take it back! I'm sorry, kid, I didn't think it was a big deal."

Henry's glare softened very slowly and he harrumphed but let her off the proverbial hook. "Well it is. And I really want this to work out so don't jinx it again." He hugged her and she hugged him back fiercely. "I really like having my moms together."

She nodded and pressed her lips fervently to his head one, two, three times. She laughed when he groaned and pulled away, wiping the imaginary 'mom' germs away. "I really like us together as well." She made her son shuffle over and eased herself into the bed. Staring up at the ceiling, she smiled again. It seemed as if she couldn't stop. "We're like a family," she murmured.

"We _are_ a family," Henry corrected her, tired. "Are we hanging out with mom tomorrow?" he asked.

"You betcha." She sighed and relaxed more fully into the pillows. Tonight had been a good night. A hopefully the first of many more to come.

**Hey everyone sorry for the major delay. I was on a holiday! Yay! Don't forget to say hi and leave a review with a scenario you would like me to write. I will dedicate it to you (or if you tell me not to, I won't) and I love writing so just sling them at me, friends. Oh and feel free to message me on tumblr if you want. My name over there is elizadownunder. (I think…) I pretty much waste all my time over there now so message and follow me and I love you all. Thank you so much for your reviews! Happy reading, readers :) **


	4. Chapter 4

**Operation Happy Ending: Chapter Four**

**I don't own Once Upon a Time.**

**Please enjoy. This one is dedicated to snixxjuice214 who asked for a territorial Emma. I took a few liberties but I hope you like it. **

It's dark in Regina's bedroom. Emma likes it. She likes how the dark curtains block out the morning sun and she likes that it feels like it is completely separate from the outside world. She likes having Regina all to herself. She likes to wrap her arms around the smaller woman and hold her tight to her chest. She likes that when she closes her eyes, she can feel Regina right next to her. Warm and present.

Emma hates, however, when Regina's phone rings in the middle of the night. The screen lights up and it buzzes loudly on the bedside table. Emma's eyes snap open and the sound sends shivers down her spine. She hates the sound. It reminds her far too much of that same buzzing that she heard in her ears over and over again when Cora shocked her. But more than that, far more present, is anger.

The first time Regina's phone buzzed, the anger was muted by sleep. Many nights passed between that first occurrence and the second but her annoyance nevertheless moved up a notch. And that was due to a single fact: when she answered the phone, Regina would mention one person. _Sidney. _

One week, he called three nights in a row and Emma almost broke Regina's phone. She, of course, said nothing to her love. Emma knew nothing was going on – nothing _untoward_, as Regina would say. Sidney, she knew without a shadow of a doubt, had nothing on their true love. But it irked her nonetheless.

But finally, he stopped calling. And Emma slept peacefully at night. She almost forgot that he had called Regina ever. One evening, however, Emma had been sleeping fitfully. Regina, a heavy sleeper now that her nightmares had more or less ceased, slept through the persistent beeps. Emma, on the other hand, had always been a light sleeper. So when Regina's phone lit up the first time and gave a small buzz, she heard and saw it. It faded after a minute and she slipped back into an uneasy sleep. The second time, she kept her eyes open for a good ten minutes, unable to convince herself to relax, to sleep. The third time, she had had enough. She sat up in her bed and glared at the phone. Sure enough, three messages from 'Sidney Glass' was proudly pronounced on the screen. Emma sneered. She reached for the phone but, before she could touch it, it began to ring obnoxiously.

Regina woke with a little snort that, at any other time, Emma would have found adorable. Now, however, she wasn't waking in a cute fashion because Emma or Henry had woken her. No. Someone else had woken her. Someone else had done what should only ever be done by _her_. And it sent a wave of fury through the sheriff.

"Mayor Mills," Regina answered sleepily. "Yes Sidney, what can I do for you?" Her voice was almost sweet when she spoke to him. And Emma knew that of course it was only because she was tired and confused and hadn't quite managed her frosty mayoral tone to address Sidney. But that didn't stop her from reaching across, taking the phone from Regina, and ending the call abruptly.

"Emma!" Regina said, shocked. "Why on earth did you do that?" The blonde didn't answer. She just tossed the phone to the end of the bed and smirked at it. The phone couldn't buzz as obnoxiously on soft fabric and she felt as if she had won a small victory.

"It's weird," she said to Regina in explanation. "It's weird that he's calling and texting you this late."

Regina sighed and Emma's brain jumped. She knew that sigh very well. Regina was exasperated. She used that sigh to denote the fact that she thought Emma was being deliberately infuriating. "He is my informant, Emma," Regina said slowly and clearly, as if speaking to a child. "He contacts me with information – that is how it works. You needn't be quite so irate."

_Though_, Regina thought to herself_, I don't mind the view_. Something about an irate sheriff just made her tingle in all the right places. Emma's hair was mussed from sleep. Her forehead was tight with worry and flushed with anger. Her muscles were tense and looked delicious.

"Your business hours are nine to five, Regina." And her voice was oh-so-stern and commanding. Regina wasn't a woman to take orders but stern Emma was a little exciting. "They aren't whenever the hell he wants to text you."

Regina blinked. There was more than just annoyance in Emma's tone, she realised. There was some quite genuine anger and not a small amount of venom within her words. The only scenario that had drawn such a violent reaction from Emma, in Regina's immediate recollection, was Cora. Even the though of the woman, her mother, made her shiver. Regina looked at her phone and back at Emma. She pursed her lips thoughtfully and pulled herself up so she sat with her back propped up against the headboard.

"Does the sound bother you?" Regina asked, a little confused as to the origin of Emma's emotion. She reached down to the phone, intent on turning it to silent, but Emma's fingers curled around the slender wrist. The blonde took a moment to just enjoy the thrum of Regina's pulse before she looked up at Regina.

"It's not the sound." She tilted her head to the side and examined Regina intently. "You really don't understand why I'm annoyed, do you?"

Now it was Regina's turn to feel the twinge of annoyance, a little flicker of anger and frustration. Emma was never one to be particularly verbose but this back and forth was infuriating Regina. "Understand_ what_?" It was late and she just wanted to sleep. She didn't want this conversation to be drawn out for any longer than necessary.

"You don't understand why I don't like it. Him. Why I'm always hanging around for some reason or another when he comes into your office."

Regina rubbed her tired eyes, pinched the bridge of her nose. "Enlighten me."

"He wants you, Regina. He loves you." Emma's eyes darkened in a mix of anger and something undeterminable to Regina. "And while I might understand how he could love you, I _will not tolerate it_. I won't tolerate his eyes lingering." Emma laid Regina's arm – the arm she had been holding tenderly, fingers encircling the wrist – on the woman's lap. Then she shifted so she was on her knees and resting back on her haunches, facing her Regina. She reached up to trace a line slowly, so slowly, down Regina's neck. It felt, to the darker woman, like she was painting a line on her skin and it burnt quite deliciously. When she moved, Regina could still feel where her finger had been as if she had left some part of her behind, a reminder of the woman. The line continued, with a little swirl into the hollow of Regina's collarbone, down her side, down her waist. There Emma paused and curled her hand gently around the swell of her hip. "I won't tolerate him thinking he can have what is mine."

Those words jerked Regina out of the seductive haze she had allowed to cloy her senses. "I am no one's possession, Miss Swan," Regina snapped. Her eyes narrowed at the presumptuous blonde.

Emma's eyes flashed in challenge. "I don't mean possession, Regina. And you can deny it all you want but I know that you are mine. If that hickey doesn't tell you," Emma's eyes felt like a physical weight as they grazed – being entirely too prideful, in Regina's opinion – over the rather prominent hickey on Regina's neck. "Then I will remind you."

Emma shifted so she was sitting cross-legged. She leant forward. "You are mine in this house. Within these walls, you are mine – mine to infuriate by leaving my jacket on the back of my chair and mine to kiss when you walk through the door after a long day in the office. You are mine to share a beautiful son with and to raise him with. You are mine to know and to touch." Emma leant in suddenly and Regina gasped as the blonde licked a line up her throat, up to her ear. The chill air on then wet skin made Regina shiver. Emma nipped at the lobe and growled her words. "Mine to taste." Regina moaned quite uncontrollably. Emma grinned wickedly at the sound she had elicited. "Mine to hold at night and mine to wake up with in the morning. Mine to _love_."

Emma moved back onto her knees and shuffled a little closer. She smiled gently at Regina. She let herself – though, in truth, she would never be able to resist the almost magnetic pull of her lover's lips – move forward and pressed her lips to Regina's tenderly. "And mine to protect," she murmured.

That snapped Regina back into the conversation. "Protect?" she whispered. "From Sidney?"

Emma nodded seriously. "Yes."

Regina smirked and pulled away. "Are you jealous, Emma?" she taunted.

Emma frowned. "Yes. I am." Regina's eyes widened. She hadn't expected that Emma would answer in the affirmative – rather, had expected a blustered retort and a huff before the blonde settled down and they both forgot the whole discussion. But Emma repeated herself. "Yes I am. I don't like that he texts you at night. I don't like that he thinks of you at night, thinks of calling and talking to you, and _acts_ on that. Is it so wrong of me not to want him to think he has a chance with you?" Emma's eyes flickered down to their bed sheets, a hint of worry in them. "I don't want him to have a part of you that I can't have."

"We have a past, Emma, Sidney and me," Regina said scoldingly. "A past that you were not privy to. Of course he has a part of me."

"Then don't give him any more of you," Emma begged. "Please Regina."

"You are being irrational, Emma."

Emma removed her hands from Regina and shuffled back on the bed. "Irrational," she repeated flatly. "Not wanting to have to worry that a man I distrust _incredibly_ and the woman I love are-"

"Are what?" Regina spat. "Having an affair? Oh yes, Emma, that's right. We're having a dark, dirty, _sordid_ affair." Regina flung the sheets off her and stood, gliding to the opposite side of the room. She couldn't be close to Emma in that moment. She spun. She _needed_ to be close to Emma, to show her how ridiculous, ludicrous, laughable, irrational that suggestion was. To correct her. She jabbed Emma in the chest and shoved her. "Is that really the trust you have in me?" she sneered.

Emma scrambled off the bed and frowned at Regina. "It's not you I don't trust."

"_Prove it_," Regina hissed. "If you trust me then you will allow me to contact Sidney whenever I deem it necessary, and he contact me."

"No! I don't understand why you can't tell him to leave you alone!" Emma snapped back. She placed her hands firmly on her hips and her eyebrows pinched together. "What don't you understand about this, Regina?" she sighed. "Would you like it if August texted me all the time?"

"I wouldn't care," Regina told her. "You are mine and I trust you." Both statements were true and they knew it. Emma _was_ hers, as Regina was Emma's, and Regina _did_ trust her, as Emma trusted Regina…but Regina would care if August texted Emma late into the night. Come to think of it, Regina quite suddenly and irrationally despised August.

"You trust me," Emma prodded, knowing that Regina was close to realisation, "but do you trust him with me? Do you trust his intentions? Trust him not to want a dark, dirty, sordid affair with me?" There was the barest hint of mockery in her tone as she repeated Regina's words because she already knew the answer. "I've known August for a long time. Longer than I've known anyone else. I guess we've got a sort of a past together," she said thoughtfully. "Not to mention that he is pretty good looking."

"Enough," Regina called out. "What exactly are you trying to prove, other than the fact that you like to think of others in our bedroom?"

Emma clenched her jaw. "I'm trying to prove that you don't like the thought of August texting me at night. Don't deny it Regina." She couldn't. She despised the thought. "I don't like Sidney texting you." Emma waved her hands at the walls that surrounded them. "This is our space, Regina. We've made it ours with every night that we've spent together. Every fight and every make up super sex session. That Sidney intrudes on that…" Emma shook her head. "I don't like it, Regina," she said plainly. "In fact, I really, really hate it."

"Then what do you propose?" Regina asked stiffly. "That you never contact Mr Booth and I never contact Sidney? Because that is ludicrous."

"No," Emma said. She sank, tired now, down to the bed. Regina hesitated for a brief moment before she sat with Emma. She reached out and entwined her hand with Emma's, who squeezed it thankfully. "I don't want you to never talk to him again," she said. "That's not fair. I just…I don't want you to give him any leeway. You're his mayor; you're not his girlfriend. I think," she looked sideways, hopefully, at Regina. "He can text you during work hours or when something is really important, I guess. But is it really so wrong to ask that he doesn't text you in our time? Or the middle of the night when you're trying to sleep?" Regina shook her head. That wasn't an outrageous suggestion. "You don't mean to, I know, but you give him ideas. When he gets to call you whenever he wants, it means that you are available to him. It means that he has access to you."

Regina softened as she took in how tense Emma was, how tight her eyes and her shoulders. "Would you like me to inform him of this change now?" she asked quietly.

Emma glanced up through her lashes at Regina. "You agree with me? To this?"

"So long as your friend, Mr Booth, is under the same restrictions," Regina commented dryly.

"Done," Emma agreed immediately. "And no. You can tell him in the morning. For now, just…can I just hold you?"

Regina lost the last of her icy mask as she smiled shyly at Emma. "I would like that," she said, nodding. And so, Regina pulled down the sheets. Emma clambered over to her side and Regina slid in next to her, waiting for Emma to make herself comfortable and turn to her with open arms, into which Regina snuggled happily.

"I love you," Emma murmured. Regina, lips pressed to the sensitive skin of Emma's shoulder, smiled and brushed a kiss over her collar.

"And I you. Go to sleep."

**It's bed time here for me so I thought I would post this one as well. I hope that this was alright, snixxjuice214, and that everyone enjoyed it. Reviews are love. Please post a scenario you would like to see/read. Oh, and I am elizadownunder on tumblr. Happy reading, readers :)**


	5. Chapter 5

**Operation Happy Ending: Chapter Five**

**I don't own Once Upon A Time.**

**Please enjoy. Oh fair warning – sex. F/F sex (obviously). **

Emma had really thought that the day was going to go well. She had a nice bunch of flowers for Regina and had filled a vase with water and they looked really good on the counter. Emma fussed over them for a moment or two before nodding – they looked near about perfect to her – and examined the rest of the kitchen. It was practically spotless, other than the two mugs of steaming coffee. She'd wanted everything to be perfect because really, how often did she wake up before Regina? The answer was rarely – very rarely.

When she heard the very light pad of feet on the stairs, Emma quickly moved the mug with darker coffee within it to Regina's favourite seat, the one she happily sank into every Sunday morning. This morning was no different. Barely a minute after Emma had sat across from the chair, sipping her own coffee, Regina practically dove into her seat and brought the delicious beverage to her lips. Emma watched her, a smile dancing over her face. Regina was so beautiful. She was so—

"What are you looking at?" Regina snapped.

Oh no. Testy morning.

"You?" Emma said weakly, hoping to draw less attention to herself. Attention, when given to one via a testy Regina, was never a good thing. She sunk into the pillows and, in her haste, slopped a few drops of her coffee onto the couch. She watched the traitorous liquid stain the fabric and closed her eyes. Great.

Regina's eyes narrowed and Emma surreptitiously covered the stain with her hand and urged it to disappear. Unfortunately, the magical plea was heard loud and clear and when she took her hand away not only had the stain disappeared, but the colouring of the fabric had as well, leaving an interesting and starkly white imprint of Emma's hand.

"Oh fuck," Emma murmured.

Regina's eyes narrowed further and further still when she saw that Henry was lingering in the doorway. Emma imagined that smoke was seconds away from billowing from her ears. "Language, Miss Swan!" she chastised. Emma's head snapped up and it was her turn to narrow her eyes.

"_Emma_," she reminded her lover. "You can't just call me Miss Swan whenever the hell you feel like it, Regina."

"I can if I feel that you are in need of being reminded of common courtesy and etiquette, Miss Swan," Regina said stiffly.

Emma rolled her eyes. "Good morning, kid," she said, not bothering to respond to Regina. Henry smiled but eyed the pair warily.

"Everything all right?" he asked.

"It's fine," Emma promised, smiling stiffly. She had been so sure that the morning would be perfect! She had that feeling this morning – the one that said everything was going to go well. The one that made you hop out of bed, eager to greet the new day, and everything you saw – old or new didn't matter – was met with a smile and a sense of confidence. And since that moment of leaping out of bed, her morning had just gone downhill.

"It is _not_ fine!" Regina disagreed. "Your mother has ruined my couch with her inability to master drinking and not spilling anything." She glared at the rather conspicuous handprint. Henry leant over to take a peek and stifled a grin. Emma rolled her eyes.

"It's not that bad, Regina. I'll fix it. Don't worry."

"You won't be touching it," the brunette said with a sniff. "You've done quite enough damage, thank you very much. I do not wish to see what damage you are capable of dealing when, heaven forbid, you think you are _helping_."

And that, Emma thought, was her cue to just be quiet and sit very still. Clearly she couldn't trust her gut – that traitorous gut that told her today would be good, which was telling her to defend herself once again to Regina – and so she just took the abuse silently and tried to ignore it.

Breakfast was eaten separately. Emma was disappointed. She had grown used to the pleasure of eating with her family. A special meal: pancakes, waffles, bacon and eggs, anything other than the cereal she ate six days of the week. A meal that really helped her to settle the end of the week in a pleasant note. Instead, today she was stuck with her dreary cereal, and with eating by herself, and with washing her bowl alone without any form of companionship.

By the time lunch was nearing, Emma was out of distractions. Regina had locked herself in her office. Henry had done the same immediately following his rushed breakfast. Thus, Emma was left to her wanderings. She, bored, had scrubbed every surface she had access to. She didn't clean frequently but when she did – more often than not driven by restlessness – she didn't let up until every speck was gone.

But it wasn't even midday by the time Emma was finished and the day loomed ahead of her, monolithic in its pathetic bleakness, and she found that she didn't want to face it alone. She rapped on Regina's study door but was sent away with a sharp 'not _now_, Miss Swan!' in Regina's clipped voice.

Emma rested her head on the cool wood of the door and sighed. She reached for the handle but she was shocked by the mild locking spell that Regina had placed on the metal. She could, of course, break the spell. But she didn't. Instead, she snatched up her i-Pod, stalked out of the house in her trainers, and began to run.

Quite literally.

She'd always been a runner. It was her sport of choice in high school and she enjoyed it. She liked early morning jogs and she had always liked chasing down the runners in her line of work. She was good at it. Of course, there was the side effect of her being _too_ good at it. And, therefore, running from most opportunities that had presented themselves with a frightening amount of want within her chest.

But that wasn't what she was doing today. She felt the pound of her feet on the pavement and heard the music in her ears and migrating into her head and into the rhythm of her blood and ran until her legs felt like jelly and her stomach protested. Only then did she look up from the concrete pavement and look around, not recognising the buildings or the streets. She pulled out her music and it was then, with great relief, that she heard Ruby's voice calling to her.

"Emma!" she shouted. "What the actual fuck?"

The vulgarity of her best friend made Emma grin. "Hey. What's up?" The red-streaked waitress glowered at Emma and punched her in the arm at half-strength. Which was, of course, enough to knock a heavy bruise into her flesh. Emma flinched and brought up a hand to cover the sore area. "Ow! Shit Ruby, what was that for?"

"You didn't hear me or something?" Ruby said. "I've been calling to you for like four streets."

Emma grinned sheepishly, still rubbing at her arm. "Sorry. I had my music on pretty loud." Ruby looked down at the earphones. Emma could hear them from where they dangled around her neck, which meant that Ruby certainly could. They really were quite loud.

"Everything okay?" Ruby queried. She knew her friend liked to run but…running was one thing and running until near exhaustion and then even further was a little out of character for the normally laidback sheriff.

Emma shrugged. "Just one of those days, you know?" Ruby nodded but didn't look convinced. Emma shook her head. "Don't even worry about it."

"Oh you know I will," Ruby corrected her. "Why don't we sit down," she said, eyeing Emma's still trembling legs, "and you tell Auntie Ruby all about it."

Emma wrinkled her nose. "You know, it's weird that you kind of are my aunt," she commented.

"Shut it. Now tell me everything."

Emma sighed. "It really is nothing." She obligingly sat, however, and stared at the paint peeling from the walls of the house opposite. She frowned. Ruby waited, staring at Emma, waiting and waiting. Emma opened her mouth. "It's just, you know those days where everything can't help but go well?" Ruby nodded. "I thought today was going to be like that. I was _sure_ of it," she said forcefully.

"And it hasn't been?" Emma shrugged again and Ruby wanted to shake her. So she did, just a little. "I don't want your apathy, woman! Give me a proper answer."

"Alright, alright. Hands off!" Ruby let her go and Emma mimed dusting off her shoulders. Then she relaxed into her friend's side. "It hasn't gone well. I mean, I had flowers out and everything and I made coffee." Emma wrinkled her nose. "But then Regina wasn't in a good mood and I spilt my coffee and I ruined the couch and I swore in front of Henry and," Emma rubbed her forehead, "Jesus. I don't know. I don't know how to fix something that isn't directly my fault, you know? Regina was just cranky. And I was antsy and I cleaned the whole house and then I was still too worked up so I went on a run and here we are."

Ruby nodded. And she kept nodding for a full minute until she shook her head. "I've got nothing."

Emma's mouth dropped open. "What? No. Don't give me that bullshit – you always have an answer for this kind of shit!"

"Well, sorry Em, not this time. I mean, what can I say when you're trying to hard and Regina is in a bad mood? There's nothing you can do. Just go home, have dinner, and tomorrow will be better." Ruby shrugged. "Everyday is a new day. Maybe everything will go exactly as you want it to tomorrow."

Emma sighed. "I guess."

"Now, want me to walk you back?" Ruby looked her friend up and down. "Because you look a little pale and I don't want you fainting."

"I'm fine." Emma stood and swayed a little bit. Ruby raised her brows in an 'I told you so' movement and Emma blushed. "But I wouldn't mind some company?"

"Mhmm sure. Okay, let's go."

The walk back was longer than Emma realised. Much longer. Thankfully, they just walked to Ruby's car – who had pulled over to talk to Emma but then had been forced to chase after the blonde woman – and Ruby drove her home.

"Thanks for the ride," Emma said. She hesitated and Ruby gave her a kind smile.

"No worries. Just go in, Emma. What is there to worry about?"

"Nothing."

Ruby sped off but Emma still loitered outside for a few minutes feeling sorry for herself. Finally she ran and hand through her hair and strode up to the door. She pushed it open and was halfway up to the room she shared with Regina when said woman came out of the bedroom, eyes wild.

"Emma?" she gasped.

The sheriff was at her side in seconds. Her hands moved over Regina, checking that she was whole and hale, terrified by the red-rimmed eyes and streaks that told her that the darker woman had been crying.

"What's wrong, love?" she murmured, crouching slightly and tilting Regina's face up. She cupped her cheeks and stroked the soft skin with her thumbs. "Regina, what's wrong?"

But the brunette just shook her head and moved, excruciatingly slowly, to press her head into the crook of Emma's neck. Emma hesitated for a moment, feeling sweaty and gross, but Regina clearly didn't mind so she obediently wrapped her arms around the woman and held her close for as long as she needed her to. Though, admittedly, she shifted them so that Regina was effectively holding her up against the wall because she was exhausted.

Emma closed her eyes and kissed Regina's head softly, happy to have the woman close. She was content to just rest there and her heart was full with the thought that Regina was with her…until she felt a little nip on her collarbone and a wet trail being licked from her neck up to her ear.

"Regina," she moaned, feeling her body warming under Regina's ministrations. "What are you doing?"

"You smell so good," Regina murmured. She bit a little harder into the flesh of Emma's neck and pressed her body closer and closer. She slipped a thigh between Emma's legs and the sensation coupled with her already wavering legs caused the sheriff to collapse against Regina's body, bringing her deliciously under Regina's control. Regina flexed her leg and relished in the wanton growl it caused and the feeling of Emma's abdomen tightening.

"What – _ah_ – what are you doing, Regina?" Emma gasped again. Not that she wasn't enjoyed Regina's ministrations because, really, who wouldn't? But she was confused at the abrupt change in pace and mood.

Regina didn't answer. In fact, she felt like punishing Emma in the most delicious way possible for her interruption and began to suck almost violently at Emma's neck. It felt like Regina was attempting to draw any objections out right through Emma's pores and damn if it didn't feel good. The blonde's head thumped back against the wall and arched her neck, letting Regina have her way. A rumble from deep in Regina's throat crackled out and Emma felt her arms move out and away from Regina until they were shackled against the wall.

"Regina?" Emma asked. Her eyes were wide. The other woman had never before used magic in their lovemaking and Emma was a little wary. Particularly since, now that she had a modicum of cognitive function returning to her brain, Regina was still clearly upset.

The darker woman avoided eye contact and set to work in a brisk fashion. Still predatory and desirous, but also as if she had a point she had to prove. Emma's heart sank.

"Jefferson," she said clearly and loudly, even though the man's name gave her the shivers – technically, that _was_ the reason they had selected it as their safe word as he unerringly put an end to any sexual ideas at all. Regina jumped backwards away from Emma as if stung and then, seeing Emma watching her cautiously, scurried into their bedroom without a word. "Oh god dammit it," Emma grumbled, struggling against the bonds. "Regina!" she shouted. "Come back here!"

The bedroom door slammed and Emma sighed. She closed her eyes and focused on untangling the binds she could feel curled around her wrists. One by one, they slipped away and she pulled free with a nod of 'yeah, I'm a badass' before striding into the bedroom. She blew the door out of the way, splintering it, when she noticed that Regina had put another locking charm on this door as well. Pfft. As if that would stop her.

"Emma! My door!" Regina shrieked.

Emma shrugged. "I'll fix it later. Or buy you a new one. Don't worry about it." She stepped close and ran her hands up from Regina's elbows to her shoulders. Regina stiffened and Emma drew her hands back, trailing her fingertips lightly over her skin. Then she sat on their bed and looked up at the darker woman, somehow knowing that she needed to feel stronger, feel independent and…just not small. So Emma tried her best to make herself smaller and waited for Regina to speak.

"What are you doing?" Regina asked, frowning, when Emma drew her knees up to her chest.

"Waiting." Emma blinked lazily. She yawned.

"Bored of me already?" Regina snarked, eyes narrowing at Emma's yawn. The blonde tilted her head to the side, confused.

"I could never be bored of you," she said quietly. "If this is about what happened outside," Emma continued, thinking about the magic Regina had used, "I think I'm okay with it but we should probably talk about it first. I mean, using magic could only make our totally awesome sex even more awesome," she said lightly.

Regina managed a tiny smirk – thinking, no doubt, of their 'totally awesome' sexual encounters – but her shoulders looked like they desperately wished to slump and her eyes were still rimmed with red. "Perhaps another time," she said, turning away from Emma.

"Regina," Emma said sternly. "Look at me." Regina's eyes moved slowly to Emma's. Emma softened, looking entreatingly instead at her lover. "Tell me what's wrong. Please?"

Regina swallowed and, with considerable effort, lowered her walls. Suddenly, her hands interlocked and she fiddled with her fingers. It was a habit she had when she was feeling particularly out of sorts. Emma witnessed the abrupt change, seeing in Regina vulnerability, sadness and no small amount of fear. "The problem…" she began. Her words stuck in her throat and she swallowed, drawing saliva into her mouth. "I love you."

Emma smiled. "We've had that discussion, Regina. There's nothing wrong with love or loving me." There was a little flicker in her eyes. She couldn't help, as she always had, but think that perhaps there was something wrong with loving her. She rejected the thought. Regina was hers and she was Regina's.

"There is when you insist on leaving!" Regina snapped. The way she lifted her hand to her mouth, though, as if trying to catch the words that had been released told Emma that she hadn't meant to say it. Which meant that it was an undiluted truth.

Emma eased to her feet and, quite deliberately, toed off her running shoes and kicked them to the door of their wardrobe. She wiggled her toes in her socks and dug her hands into her pockets, unsure of what her next action should be. "I didn't mean to scare you," she murmured quietly.

"I'm angry, not scared."

"Right, which is why you were crying," Emma nodded. Regina glowered at her.

"I was furious."

"Mhmm. Why were you so scared?"

"Because you _left_ me!" Regina snapped. Her hands moved into their intimidating position on her hips and the air seemed to crackle around her. "You left me!"

"What was I supposed to do, Regina? Yell at you?" Emma held out her hands widely to the sides.

"Yes!" Regina wheeled away and then rounded back on Emma, unsure whether she wanted to be further away or closer, _closer_. "I don't know," she admitted. "I just," she blinked back tears again. "I came out of the study and I called your name and you weren't here. You've never left on a Sunday," she said quietly.

Emma looked to the ground. "I put flowers in the kitchen," she said after a few minutes of silence. "And I made you coffee. I cleaned the house when you locked yourself in the study." Regina blinked. "I love you Regina but we can't be the perfect couple all the time. You're going to be cranky and I'm going to try too hard." She said exactly what Ruby had told her, hoping that it would speak to Regina as well. "But don't you ever doubt that I love you with everything that I am."

"Why are you always the one fixing us?" Regina laughed sadly, sniffling. Emma grinned and pulled her woman into her arms.

"Don't worry. I'm sure I'll have my moments." She rested her chin on Regina's forehead. "You want to know my secret?" she asked Regina softly. Her answer was a little nod. "You and me? _Us_? All of this doesn't scare me. I feel like I'm finally home." She smiled. "And I might take a break or two and go for a run but I'm never leaving you."

"This petrifies me," Regina whispered. "All morning I could see I was hurting you but I…I couldn't stop myself."

"Madame Mayor," Emma scolded lightly, "were you testing me?"

"I," Regina pulled back and frowned thoughtfully. "I, yes. I might have been. I'm sorry," she apologised honestly. "I didn't realise I'd been doing that."

Emma shrugged. "It's okay. Sometimes I do things that will annoy you just to get you worked up." The admission, which Emma had thought was cute, caused Regina's dark eyes to flash purple.

"Really." Regina stated flatly.

"Um… no? Did I say that?" Emma backtracked wildly. "I mean that I do things only that will make you happy." Regina hummed and shoved Emma forcefully backwards so she fell awkwardly across the bed.

"Now that we've fixed all of these _emotional_ troubles," Regina said, only mildly disgusted at the idea of emotions_, _"can we have a little fun?" She grinned wickedly and, with a small flick of her wrist, fixed and closed and locked the door to their bedroom.

Emma gulped. "I, well, that is…" she trailed off when Regina's shirt abruptly fell to the floor. "Oh sweet Jesus." The brunette slowly settled onto the bed, one leg on either side of the prone sheriff, and lowered herself until she was flush against the blonde woman.

"What do you say, _Emma_?" She said the woman's name with a devastating amount of seductive power, which Emma suspected had been amplified by some magical means. She trailed her fingers down Emma's abdomen and, quickly, darted them beneath the hem of the shirt. Her nails raked suddenly down her stomach and Emma arched up into the sensation.

"Oh my _god_," she cried. "Give a girl some warning, Regina!"

"Where's the fun in that?" The ex-Queen pouted. Her eyes alighted on the prominent hickeys she'd given Emma and she sighed. "I'm about to devour you," she said darkly and succinctly. "Consider that your warning."

"Wha-?" Emma managed before she was being shoved into the mattress and Regina attached her mouth firmly to the blonde's neck once more. Then, with the barest attention given to the action, Regina ripped Emma's shirt up and over her head and threw it to the side of the room, quickly followed by pants, bra, panties and socks.

When Emma was starkly naked beneath Regina, her hands gripping tightly at the sheets on either side, the dark woman lightly scratched a line down Emma's sternum. Somehow, the action caused pink nipples to harden and it delighted Regina to no end. Emma had her eyes closed. Big mistake. Regina struck fast – her mouth clamped down over a nipple and she sucked hard. A noise somewhere between a moan and a surprised shriek was torn from Emma's mouth before Regina placed her hand over Emma's mouth.

"Be quiet," she commanded. Emma's wide eyes widened even further when Regina rolled the wet nipple between her fingers tips and the younger woman nodded frantically. "Will you be good?" Regina asked lightly, her mouth slightly full with breast, as she traced decreasing circles around both nipples with her tongue and the index finger of her free hand.

Emma nodded but, almost immediately, groaned loudly when Regina pinched her left breast viciously. "Tut tut," the dark woman reprimanded her lover. "You can't even behave for one minute." She sat up and backwards and the movement moved her ass directly against Emma's most sensitive area. The blonde tried to grind up, searching for more pressure, but Regina moved away as soon as she realised what she was doing. "Well," Regina sniffed. "I will admit that I am very looking forward to this." She lowered herself just enough that Emma could feel the incredibly heat radiating from her. "So I suppose I'll have to help you stay quiet, love."

Regina moved slowly, not wanting to scare Emma as she had earlier, and pressed one hand against each of the blonde's wrist. This time, with the tender expression in the brunette's eyes and Emma's own understanding of what was happening, Emma didn't bother to fight against the bonds that Regina conjured. She tested their strength – invisible as they were, they were stronger than any scarves or cuffs could ever attempt to be – and bucked up against Regina. The brunette laughed softly and her fingers caressed Emma's forehead, brushing insolent curls off Emma's skin.

Regina slipped off her lover, ignoring the whine of disappointment that elicited, and shimmied out of her skirt. She thoroughly enjoyed the way that Emma halted all movement, choosing instead to memorise every curve and dimple and all deliciousness that was Regina. She especially enjoyed the little intake of air Emma sucked in when she hooked her thumbs into her panties and slid them down her legs, stepping daintily out of them.

"Oh god," Emma groaned. She closed her eyes and let herself shake with anticipation, knowing that this was only just the beginning. Regina was the master – mistress, technically – of teasing.

Regina traced a high cheekbone with her thumb before urging Emma's mouth open, gagging Emma with a conjured scarf. "Hopefully that will keep you quiet. We don't want the neighbours commenting on our…activities again, now do we?" She eyed her love. "Are you comfortable?" she asked quietly. Emma nodded frantically and then bucked her hips as if to ask what the hell Regina was waiting for. "Wonderful."

If Emma thought that she was going to tease her, she would be correct. But not, Regina thought, right now. Now, she went straight to work. She slithered down to sit contentedly between Emma's legs and flicked out her tongue to graze the sensitive nub there. Emma groaned, surprised, and her hips twitched. Regina glared up to the blonde. She wound her arms under Emma's thighs, pulling them up onto her shoulders, and then laid her hands flat on Emma's abdomen. She delighted in the tensing and clenching stomach muscles of her strong lover and set upon Emma quickly.

It was the perfect cage, Regina thought, for her. There was no place she would rather be than between the two pale thighs that trembled as she took her quickly to new heights, and with the taste of Emma on her tongue. She deviated from her clit to dance down to her entrance, dipping in teasingly. When Emma groaned loudly, Regina grinned and pulled one of her hands away from the now perpetually tense stomach, and let her fingers orient themselves for a split second.

She let her tongue return to Emma's clit, flicking for a minute before changing to long, hard strokes. The changing pattern confused and kept Emma twisting and turning. Having successfully distracted the blonde, Regina felt it was the perfect moment to introduce her fingers. She slid two fingers into Emma and had to pause for a moment, rubbing her thighs together to ward of the rather persistent arousal between her own legs.

Suddenly, the little mewls and moans that Emma was producing weren't enough and the bucking and pressing of her body against Regina could be more. Regina curled her fingers, searching insistently for that little spot that could make Emma lose control. When she found it, and she knew she had because Emma's left leg twitched and her heel dug almost painfully into Regina's shoulder and the most wanton sound was pulled from Emma's chest, she ran her fingers over it time and again. Coupled with the ministrations on the sensitive nub, Emma found that she was approaching the edge rapidly. And Regina wasn't slowing down. Rather, when Emma began to shake tellingly, Regina began to thrust and curl and lick deeper, harder, faster, intent on flinging Emma over that edge.

Emma came with no sound at all. Her back arched and her muscles contracted painfully, arms pulling oddly at the invisible ties and thighs clamping over Regina's head. Did Regina mind? Not at all. In fact, she just continued to suck and flick and thrust. Emma came back from the black bliss she'd been treated to, only to find that she was well on her way to a second orgasm.

"Mno," she mumbled around her gag.

"Oh yes," Regina husked. Emma dared to roll her green eyes down her own body, only to see that the black, dark eyes were staring desperately up her undulating body, sending fiery lustful shockwaves through Emma's weakened body. She twisted her fingers deep within Emma and pulled away so that this time she could watch with satisfaction as the blonde screamed behind her gag and tensed. She continued to thrust gently, easing Emma down from her high, until her lover went limp. Only then did she remove her fingers and she licked the wet digits lasciviously, loving the way that Emma watched them sink into her mouth.

Regina waved a hand and the gag pulled out of Emma's mouth and disappeared.

"Oh god," Emma gasped. "_Please_," she begged.

"Please what?" Regina asked. Surely she couldn't be asking for another orgasm – the greedy thing had already had two.

"Please let me touch you," Emma continued to beg, plead, with Regina. The dark woman smirked.

"I don't think so." She trailed her hands down from Emma's wrists, loving the way the tendons strained to touch her. She began, slowly, to grind against Emma's thigh. The blonde immediately tensed her muscles and ground her leg up, making Regina sigh and toss her head back, thrusting further down. "Oh Emma," she murmured.

"Come on Regina," Emma growled. She pushed herself up as far as she could go and nipped at the only part of her love that she could reach, the underside of her right breast. Regina gasped and lowered herself to give Emma more access. The blonde quickly took advantage, suckling and nibbling and, when Regina began to rock in more uncertain patterns, she bit once. Hard. The abrupt sharp pain caused Regina's mouth to flop open and her eyes to widen into a sudden white. She whimpered as the bliss overtook her and shuddered against Emma for a long moment.

Emma's arms came down from their prisons to wrap around Regina, lifting her up and into her side. Emma curled protectively around the smaller woman and nuzzled sleepily into her side. One long arm draped over Regina's waist.

"I love you," she said before she succumbed to sleep. "And I will never leave you."

Regina smiled. "If you ever do leave me," she joked quietly, "I'll never fuck you like that again."

**Okay y'all, I hope that was okay. (First time writing smut – sorry if it was not as good as you hoped. Any pointers are appreciated!) I have a bunch of prompts that I'm really excited to write and for you all to read so look forward to them. Please leave a review, tell me something you'd like me to write or just whether you liked this. Oh and feel free to follow me on tumblr – elizadownunder – as I reblog a bunch of Once gifs and things (and Doctor Who and kittens). As always, happy reading, readers :)**


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